Automatic-piano-player treadle.



' E. T. TURNEY. AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER TREADLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23,108.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911f 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I IN HH'VHIHHHHHHIHII E. T. TURNEY. AUTOMATIC PIANO PLAYER TREADLE. APPLIOATION IILED APB.23,1908.

' Patented Aug. 15,1911.

2 SHEETS8HEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPN 00., WASHINGTON, n- C.

EUGENE '1. TURN'EY, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLIN COMPANY, OF MILAN, ILLINOIS,

OIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO ARTISTA PIANO PLAYER A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC-PIANO-PLAYER TREADLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

Application filed April 23, 1908. Serial No. 428,784.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, EUGENE T. TURNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Island, in the county of Rock Island, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic- Piano-Player Treadl'es, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic piano player treadles, and the primary object of the invention is to provide an improved treadle for operating the bellows, which is adapted to be readily folded within the casing of the instrument through an opening therein when not in use.

Afurther object is to provide an improved closure for the opening.

A further object is to provide an improved joint for connecting the operating member to the bellows.

A. further object is to provide an improved device of this character which will be simple and durable in construction, and effective and efficient in operation.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating an exemplification of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of an improved device of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this in vention taken on line 11 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a sectional view taken on line H of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, taken on line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail top plan view of the supporting frame for the forward end of the treadle.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and in the present exemplification of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a portion of the instrument to which this improved attachment is applied, and the casing is provided with an opening 11 in the front thereof and adjacent the bottom. \Vithin the casing is arranged a suitable support 12 for the bellows 13 which latter are adapted to be expanded and contracted to operate the mechanism (not shown). The support 12 is located any desired distance to the rear of the front of the casing and secured to the movable member of each of the bellows is an arm or projection 1d. Arms 15 are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends, as at 16, to a fixed portion of the instrument, preferably the support 12. One extremity of each of these arms stands adjacent one of the bellows 13 and is connected to the respective projection 14 by a suitable fastening means, such as a bolt or rod 17 provided with threaded extremities, which is of such a length that the extremities will pass through the extremity of the respective arm 5 and the projection 14. This bolt or rod is held against displacement by means of a nut 18 engaging one of the threaded extremities of the rod 17, and is provided with a rounded bearing face which is adapted to be seated in a suitable concave recess 18 on the face of the projection 1a, and this projection 14 is provided with a conical aperture 18 extending through the opposite face thereof and communicating with the recess 18, with the smaller portion of the aperture adjacent the recess. The nut 18 may be held against displacement by means of a suitable jam-nut 18 engaging the extremity of the rod 17 beyond the nut 18. A similar nut 19 engages the other extremity of the rod 17 adjacent the outer face of the arm 15, which latter is provided with a concave recess 19, into which the rounded bearing face of the nut 19 is adapted to be seated, and this nut 19 is held from accidental displacement with respect to the rod 17 by means of a suitable jam-nut 2O engaging the threaded extremity of the rod or bolt 17 beyond the nut 19. The extremity of the arm 15 is provided with a conical aperture 21 extending through the opposite face of the arm and communieating with the recess 19 with the smaller portion of the aperture adjacent and com municating with the recess 19 ith this improved construction of fastening device, it will be apparent that when the arms are rocked about their points of pivotal support 16, the movable member of the respective bellows 13 may be adjusted and the conical apertures 18 21 will permit the respective fastening devices 17 to rock freely at their points of connection with the arms 15, and the projections 14: at the same time the nuts 18, 19 may be adjusted to take up the wear of the parts.

The free extremity 22 of each of the arms 15 is bent forwardly, as shown more clearly in Fig. l of the drawings, toward the front of the casing and terminates within the easing.

Spaced members 23 are pivotally supported as at 24, preferably to the base of the casing 10, and these members are adapted to project beyond the for any desired distance and the free extremities thereof are bent downwardly as at 25 to form supporting feet, and, if desired, attached to the feet rubber tips 26 may be 25. These members 23 are connected to move in unison, preferably by means of a transverse bar or rod 27, which is secured adjacent the forward extremity thereof.

Suitable pedals 28 are pivotally supported adjacent one end, as at 29, to the transverse bar or member 27, and may be held against movement longitudinally on the transverse member 27 in any desired or suitable manner, preferably by means of collars 30, secured to the member on each side of the pivot point of the pedals. The other extremities of the pedals are connected to the forward extremities 22 of the respective arms 15 by means of suitable links 31, which latter are pivoted at one extremity as at 32 to the arm and by their other extremities as at 33 to the respective pedal. These links are of such a length as to cause the pedals 28 to stand in a raised inclined position when the supporting frame is lowered to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and when in position for use.

In use and when the operator rocks the pedals about their points of pivotal support 29, the arms 15 will be alternately rocked about their points of pivotal support through the medium of the links 31 and this rocking movement of the arms 15 will expand or contract the respective bellows 13 according to the direction of movement of the adjacent extremity of the arms 15.

When not in use the pedals may be folded within the casing of the instrument through the opening 11 therein by raising the spaced arms 23 forming the supporting frame and front of the casing as this frame is raised the pedals 28, together with the links 31, .will be folded inwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in F 1.

A suitable closure is provided for the opening 11 in the casing through which the pedals are folded and this closure preferably comprises a main door section 34, which is pivotally supported as at 35 by means of suitable hinges. This section is of a width to extend across the opening and terminates short of the bottom of the opening, and a supplemental door section 36 is hinged as at 37 to the lower extremity of the main door section and is provided with a handle or knob 38 by means of which the supplemental section may be raised. The main section 34 terminates adjacent the upper edge of the pedals 28 when the latter are in position for use and the supplemental section 36 is adapted to close the opening between the lower edge of the main section and the top of the adjacent portion 39 of the front of the instrument. Vith this improved construction, it will be apparent that the entire opening in the casing may be closed when the pedals are in use or when folded into the casing and when it is desired to fold the pedals into the easing after having been used, the supplemental door section 36 is first folded upon the main section, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and then the main door section 3t may be moved about its points of pivotal support, at which time the free end of the door, together with the supplemental section, will pass the adjacent extremities of the pedals.

The portion 39 of the front of the casing is provided with a plurality of slots 40 through which the members 23 and links 31 are adapted to project when the pedals are lowered to a position for use.

In order that the invention might be fully understood, the details of the foregoing embodiment thereof have been thus specifically described, but

What I claim as new is- The combination of a casing, a bellows supported therein, an arm arranged within the casing and having pivotal connection with the bellows, a support pivoted to the casing, a pedal pivotally mounted upon the support beyond the casing, an arm having pivotal connection with the bellows, a link connected to the arm, projecting beyond the casing and having connection with the pedal, said link being of a length to hold one end of the pedal elevated when the latter is in position for use, said support, link and pedal being foldable into the casing through an opening therein, and a hinged door for closing the opening, said door in- In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 10 two subscribing witnesses, on this 10th day cluding a hinged section adapted to be folded with respect to the main section to permit the free end of the door to pass the raised end of the pedal when the latter is in of April A. D. 1908.

position for use to be unfolded with respect EUGENE T. TURNEY. to the main section and to extend across the Witnesses:

links when the door is closed and the pedal DAVID SEARS,

is in position for use. C. A. LIITT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. O.

Commissioner of latents, 

